Lettuce Wraps

1 lbs. ground chicken or ground pork (I use ground sausage from by the bacon.)
8oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanut, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 head iceberg lettuce, separated into rounds
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 pkg Lee Kum Lee Panda brand sauce for Lettuce Wraps in the Asian section at the grocery store

Heat oil over high heat in a large frying pan or work. Add meat and stir fry for 3 minutes or until browned. (I personally don't use the oil because it adds way too much grease for our liking.)
Add all vegetables, peanut and water chestnuts.
Stir fry for an additional 2 minutes.
Add 3/4 pouch of sauce and bring to a simmer.
Add green onions and peanuts.
Scoot the mixture into a lettuce cup.
Drizzle the remaining sauce on top.

* We love lettuce wraps and these definitely didn't disappoint. There wasn't much talking going on between me and my man because we were too involved with eating these good wraps! I will be repeating this one again soon!

Famous Rotel Cheese Dip

1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cut into 1" cubes.
10oz can diced Rotel tomatoes & green chilies

In a saucepan, combine ingredients; stir over low heat until cheese spread is melted.
Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or vegetables.

Microwave: Place ingredients in a covered casserole. Microwave on HIGH until
cheese spread is melted, about 5 minutes, stirring once.

* I have never been a big fan of queso and it's almost never made in our home but this is the one queso recipe that I will always eat if it's in front of me. The Superbowl was the perfect excuse to make this super easy and yummy dip!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese (I used a Fiesta blend cheese because it's what I had on hand)
about 16 small corn or flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well. You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

The corn tortillas are harder to roll without cracking. For the corn tortillas: work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Makes around 16 taquitos.

Dip in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or Tomatillo Dressing.

* These were amazing! We were so excited to try this recipe and it definitely did not disappoint! They were so filling but we didn't want to stop eating them! We used corn tortillas and really liked them but had to work fast so they didn't start to crack. I used light cream cheese and they still tasted great. We dipped them in hot sauce, sour cream, and guacamole and served them with a green salad for a healthy and very satisfying meal!

Recipe & photo from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Nachos

½ lb ground beef

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)

1 small zucchini, chopped (1 cup)

1 cup chili beans in chili sauce (from 15-oz can)

1 cup thick-and-chunky salsa, divided

Tortilla chips (the salted kind, of course!)

1 ½ c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (6 oz)

sliced ripe olives

diced fresh tomatoes

Brown ground beef. Drain and remove ground beef to a plate; set aside. Using the same pan, stir-fry bell pepper and zucchini for 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Stir in chili beans and ½ cup of the salsa; cook until hot. Stir in ground beef.

Line tortilla chips on a broiler safe pan. Spoon dollops of the mixture atop the chips. Sprinkle with olives and tomatoes (or you can add these after the nachos come out of the broiler). Sprinkle with cheese, to your liking. Put under broiler (not super close) until cheese is melted, only a couple of minutes.

Serve with remaining salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

* These were so easy to make and super filling! We felt that they didn't have as much flavor as we would have liked but they were still yummy. We are going to throw on jalapenos next time for sure! I am going to continue to experiment with flavors, different vegetables, different meats, etc. These would be great as an appetizer!

Recipe Adapted from The Sisters Cafe.

Favorite Fruit Dip

8oz package cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the cream cheese and brown sugar together until smooth. Add vanilla and blend in.

Makes about 2 cups of fruit dip. Great with strawberries, grapes, apples, bananas, and watermelon.

* This is one of my favorite fruit dips! I have made it with normal and low fat cream cheese and it tastes great both ways! It's super easy and always a hit!

From Kim Sharp

Chicken Enchiladas With Corn Salsa

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can mild enchilada sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 package flour or wheat tortillas

Mix all ingredients reserving about 1/4 can of enchilada sauce.
Spoon mixture onto edge of tortilla and fold together, folding one end into middle.
Place side by side in baking dish.
Pour reserved sauce over enchiladas.
Sprinkle with more shredded cheese if desired.
Bake at 350* for about 25 minutes.

Corn Salsa
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 small bunch chopped, fresh cilantro as desired
1 cup Italian salad dressing

Stir ingredients together. This is also great with tortilla chips.

Mexican Layered Dip

8 oz cream cheese
1 Tablespoon taco seasoning mix
1 cup thick 'n chunky salsa
1 cup drained canned black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
2 Tablespoons sliced ripe olives
3 pkgs (13 oz each) baked tortilla chips

Beat cream cheese with mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add seasoning mix; beat until well blended. Spread onto bottom of 9" pie plate or quiche dish.
Layer remaining ingredients over cheese mixture; cover.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes 5 cups dip.

Spinach & Cheese Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sliced green onions
10 oz frozen chipped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 cup Italian style cheese crumbles
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers

Beat cream cheese, mayo and half the onions in medium bowl with mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add spinach; mix until just blended.
Stir in cheese crumbles and peppers; cover.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Sprinkle with remaining onions just before serving.

Makes 3 cups.

"Margarita" Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup frozen limeade concentrate, partially thawed
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup thawed cool whip

Beat cream cheese, limeade concentrate and orange juice in medium bowl with mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in cool whip; cover.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Serve with fresh fruit, grilled fruit or Nilla wafers.

Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Jazz it up: Serve in a wide-brimmed margarita glass. Dip rim of glass in sugar before filling with dip.

Mandarin Almond Chicken Bites

1/2 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup canned mandarin orange segments, drained, cut into thirds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 Tablespoons sliced almonds
2 Tablespoons Miracle Whip light dressing
48 Triscuit reduced fat crackers

Combine chicken, oranges, cranberries, almonds, and dressing; cover.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.
Top each cracker with 1 teaspoon of the chicken mixture. Serve immediately.

Makes 16 servings.

Chicken Fondue

1. Cook and stir 1 finely chopped medium onion in a fondue pot or heavy saucepan with 1/4 cup prepared Good Seasons mild Italian dressing.

2. Add 2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth, 1/2 cup apple juice and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. Heat to simmer just before serving.

3. Cut 8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 per person) into very thin strips. Cut vegetables such as cauliflower, mushrooms, and peppers into bite-sized pieces. (Be sure to keep raw chicken on a separate plate away from vegetables and cooked chicken.)

4. Dip chicken and vegetables into boiling hot broth to cook. Cook chicken for about 3 minutes or until cooked through and vegetables for between 2-3 minutes, depending on the type of vegetable. Serve with assorted dipping sauces.
Makes 8 servings.
Dipping Sauces:

Lemon Garlic:
Combine 1 cup Miracle Whip dressing with 1 finely chopped garlic clove and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice.

Herb:
Combine 1 cup Miracle Whip dressing with 2 Tablespoons prepared Good Seasons mild Italian dressing.

Creamy Coconut Dip

1. Mix 8 oz softened cream cheese and 15 oz can cream of coconut in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended.

2. Mix in 16 oz cool whip. Stir gently until well blended. Cover, refrigerate several hours or until chilled.

3. Serve with graham cracker sticks or crackers or cut up fruit.

Hot Spinach Dip

10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chopped roasted red peppers

Preheat oven to 350*
Mix spinach, mayo, cheese, and garlic until well blended.
Spoon into 9" pie plate or quiche dish.
Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.
Sprinkle with peppers.

Homemade Salsa

1/2 onion, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 can green chilies
jalapeno, optional
14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
cilantro to taste
1 pkg Italian dressing - mixed to pkg directions
oregano, optional
cumin, optional
chili pepper, optional

Combine all & enjoy!